Europe at a boiling point

From Paris to Belgrade, protests, strikes and student-led movements reflect growing public frustration over living costs, education, housing and government policies.

Protesters hold placards during a demonstration organised by a group calling itself ‘Gen Z Regelt’, in Frankfurt, Germany. Thousands took to the streets in France, Germany, Spain, Serbia and Italy over rising living costs and growing frustration with governments. — Bloomberg

A person holds a French national flag as thousands gather in a protest against underfunded schools in Paris, France. — AP

People celebrate the Student List’s victory in a parliamentary election at Slavija Square in Belgrade, Serbia, after Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat. Tens of thousands gathered in major cities across the country to celebrate the student-led movement’s success in the snap vote. — Reuters

A woman raises a placard during a Paris demonstration against the cost of living and under-resourced schools, part of a wider wave of protests and strikes over economic pressures and public spending across Europe. — AP

The Monument a la Republique, representing Marianne, is adorned with a yellow vest bearing the message ‘In 2026 the police maims school girls’ in Paris, a day after clashes during nationwide demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices. — Reuters

Supporters of the Student List celebrating their majority win in a snap general election in Belgrade, Serbia. — Byline

People gather at the entrance to a metro station in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, where housing crisis protesters remain camped. The demonstrations continue a month after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who later died in hospital, with housing set to be a key issue in Spain’s Nov 29 snap election. — AFP

A person holds a placard reading ‘The end is near’ during a nationwide day of strikes and protests in Rome, Italy. School and university students are demanding more education funding and housing support, after weeks of demonstrations, tent camps and school occupations. — AFP